Yijia Li

Yijia Li serves as a primary procurement lead at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard IMF, overseeing mission-critical acquisitions to sustain and modernize the U.S. Navy’s fleet. Responsible for managing the full lifecycle of contracts supporting ship repair, mechanical overhauls, and industrial infrastructure upgrades, Li ensures alignment with naval readiness objectives through precise technical requirements and compliance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) standards. Their work directly enables the shipyard’s core function of maintaining operational availability for naval vessels through precision engineering and system refurbishment, with a focus on complex, high-stakes industrial contracts requiring specialized maritime expertise. Li maintains strong, long-term relationships with key contractors including Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Pacific Industrial Equipment Corp, Xleagle LLC, Fairbanks Morse, LLC, and Philip Rieke, all of which provide specialized marine propulsion systems, heavy machinery components, and industrial repair services. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, consistent performance, and recurring contract renewals, reflecting a preference for vendors with proven capabilities in naval shipyard environments and certified industrial expertise. A strong advocate for small business participation, Li consistently prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Aside contracts under FAR 19.5, with over 68% of acquisitions reserved for small businesses. This reflects a deliberate strategy to foster local industrial capacity and ensure broad vendor participation, particularly among firms with expertise in marine repair and heavy equipment maintenance. Socioeconomic contracting is intentionally structured to maximize opportunities for small, veteran-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses aligned with shipyard needs. The procurement portfolio is overwhelmingly focused on NAICS 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing), with 92% of acquisitions centered on hull structural repairs, propulsion system overhauls, and auxiliary machinery refurbishment. Additional activity in NAICS 811310 (Commercial and Industrial Machinery Repair) underscores expertise in maintaining complex, non-automotive industrial systems critical to naval vessel sustainment. Li’s technical domain expertise lies in integrated marine systems procurement, ensuring compliance with naval engineering specifications and lifecycle support requirements.